The Mike Nowak Show

The Mike Nowak Show


Latest Episodes

Essential Extreme Permaculture Primer
July 11, 2020

Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop are the authors of Building a Better World in Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys. It might be called an essential extreme permaculture primer. Garden expert Melinda Myers returns to the show to talk abo...

Black Gardeners Matter, Too
July 04, 2020

Nicole Virgil returns to the show as she continues her fight to grow vegetables in a hoop house in her own, Elmhurst, Illinois backyard. Debbie Trueblood from the Illinois Park and Recreation Association reports on their second annual Unplug Illinois D...

High Noon in the Straits of Mackinac
June 27, 2020

Liz Kirkwood from For Love of Water (FLOW) and Mitch McNeil of Surfrider Chicago talk about shutting down the Enbridge 5 oil pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. Mary Phillips, Senior Director of Conservation for the National...

Insect Apocalypse on Main Street?
June 20, 2020

Entomologist Dr. May Berenbaum from the University of Illinois explores the question of an insect apocalypse on our planet. Bill Stengel of Summit Responsible solutions has answers for your mosquito, flea and tick problems.

Tomatomania II with KC and NC!
June 13, 2020

KC Tomato and Craig LeHoullier return to the show to participate in Tomatomania II. If they can't answer your tomato questions, nobody can. Karen Lehman from the Chicago Region Food System Fund says they are looking to provide grants to organizations t...

Environmental Justice Is Social Justice
June 06, 2020

Part of the national conversation about the death of George Floyd involves how social justice is tied to environmental justice. We welcome Veronica Kyle from Faith in Place, scholar and activist Mila K. Marshall and Michael Howard from Eden Place Natur...

Upcycling Milk Waste into Milk Tees
May 30, 2020

Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts, one of our favorite arborists (we know many), returns to the show to talk about the effect of heavy spring rains and sudden cold snaps on our trees. Robert Luo of Mi Terro is creating sustainable clothing from upcycled...

Botanical Sexism Is Making You Sick
May 23, 2020

Tom Ogren, who has been studying how to create allergy-free gardens for more than 25 years, returns to the show to talk about the explosion of pollen and allergies as the world heats up. Bob Bertog of Bertog Landscape Co. and Roger Tietz.

Can Farmers Markets Survive COVID-19?
May 17, 2020

Can farmers markets open safely during the COVID-19 and still survive? Janie Maxwell, executive director of the Illinois Farmers Market Association hopes to answer that question. Dennis Warnecke from Tainio Biologicals explains why soil health is all a...

Breaking Bread with Neighbor Loaves
May 09, 2020

Alyssa Hartmann, Executive Director of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, and Ellen King, co-owner and head baker of Hewn in Evanston, talk about the Neighbor Loaves program to bring bread to people who need it.